Human Flea
Pulex irritans
Color: Reddish Brown
Size: 1.5 – 4 mm
Shape: Body flattened from the side, Long and strong legs
Nutrition: They feed on human or animal blood.
Habitat: Worldwide
General Behavior
They like mild and warm climates. They use their mouthparts to pierce the skin and draw blood.
Where they cannot find humans, they turn to other mammals, including dogs and cats.
Their habitats include beds, carpets, furniture and animal burrows.
Females can lay up to 400 eggs in their lifetime.
The life cycle can vary from two weeks to several months.
They cannot fly but can jump up to 150 times their body length.
They are active at night, feeding when people are sleeping or inactive.
Threats
They transmit diseases and are vectors of diseases such as plague, typhus and tularemia.
Some people have allergic reactions.
How Do We Recognize Infestation?
Flea bites are usually concentrated around the ankles, legs or waist. Red, itchy bumps appear.
They can be seen jumping on beds, carpets and furniture.
Appearance of black spots on bedding.